S. Paolo fuori delle Mura 1741 - 1748

Giovanni Battista Piranesi created this print of S. Paolo fuori delle Mura in the 18th century, using etching. This intaglio process involves biting lines into a metal plate with acid, and then using this plate to transfer the image to paper. The controlled corrosion achieved through etching allowed Piranesi to depict the Basilica with remarkable detail. Look closely, and you can see the texture of the stone and the play of light across the building's facade. Piranesi was fascinated by the grandeur of ancient Roman architecture, and by the way the ruins had become integrated into the urban fabric of his own time. In this print, we see the Basilica not as a pristine monument, but as a working building, surrounded by everyday life. The figures in the foreground, perhaps merchants or travelers, remind us that this was a place of commerce and community, as well as of worship. By emphasizing the relationship between the built environment and the people who inhabited it, Piranesi elevates the status of printmaking to something more than documentation.